NYC Crowned Road Ragin’est City in America

New Yorkers are known for their impatience, but nowhere is their aggression more prevalent than on the road. The city’s reputation of having the angriest drivers in the country has just been backed by the findings of a recent poll. New York took the first spot for the first time, unseating the four-year reigning worst road rage city of Miami. The poll surveyed 25 metropolitan areas. After the Big Apple, came Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Atlanta, and Minneapolis/St. Paul, respectively. Miami ranked seventh.Why all the hostility behind the wheel? This remains unclear.

“The real surprise to me is that there is no geographic way to break down road rage. It is very much on a city-by-city basis, as opposed to geographic area.” Michael Bush, of the marketing and consulting company Affinion Group, which conducted the survey, told Reuters.

However, eating, texting, speeding, and tailgating by other drivers are all factors that contribute to an increased stress level behind the wheel. People who are angry, stressed or running late are more likely to take out their frustration on other drivers.

In return, everyone gets more aggressive. As a reaction to rude or bad driving by others, people surveyed admit they flail their arms, cut people off, curse and hold down the horn for an extended period of time just to name a few behaviors. Only 7 percent of people say they call the police to report the driver and even fewer – 1 percent – admit to slamming the car in front of them (fortunately).

On a friendlier note, Portland and Cleveland were both listed as having the most pleasant drivers.